Critical Care
by Mynameiseverchanging
Summary: As if waking up in a hospital bed weren't enough, she must feel as if she were being bottle fed like an infant as well? And by the only person's who's opinion of her she actually cares about as well. Sora/Layla Romantic Adventure. Therefor, yes, it is a lesbian fiction. CURRENTLY ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: _Back again. This time with a story for my most popular (and favourite) ship. Sorry this took so long. Since New Home was so popular I'll try to make this one similar, but not the same. I just did not see any potential left for that story and had forgotten where I was even going with it since I put it off for years due to personal issues. I will try my best with this one. I promise._**

 ** _Also, in an effort to keep the story going for multiple chapters without ending at 5 I will attempt to make this a slow burn plot... Meaning plot development will be very slow coming and there won't be very much romance until much later chapters. It is however a Layla/Sora pairing story, so if you don't like, don't read._**

* * *

A loud crash resounded throughout the theatre. Blaring white noise rang in every direction and the world was fuzzy. Everything was off hilter, nothing would stay still. The world was a mess.

It had all happened so fast. One moment she was on stage, giving one of the best performances anyone had ever seen of her, the next, there is a beautiful tall blonde woman laying on the floor in front of the stage. Screams and gasps surrounded the small room, but hardly any of it registered within the mind of the star.

Layla grunted with effort as she flopped onto her side and blearily gazed upward to the stage from which she had fallen.

"Uhhhh" She groaned softly "What on earth?" Every word spoken was breathy and arduous. Before the actress could even contemplate getting up and continuing as if nothing were wrong, her head fell back to the floor, her heavy lids closing and the world going black. She had fainted a second time, this time, not to wake up until much later that day.

* * *

After a world of panic and chaos, multiple calls to nine one one, and quite a bit of effort to both evacuate the theatre so the medics could do their job and focus on the still unconscious woman, Layla finally awoke in a hospital bed.

Confusion etched on her features as she surveyed the room, her expression quickly changed to shock as she noticed a mop of burgundy hair resting by her right arm.

Layla forced herself to stay calm as a million questions went through her mind. What had happened? How long had it been? Why was Sora there? And for Christ's sake could she have some advil!?

As Layla raised her left hand to cradle her aching head she felt a stir by her arm and glanced down through her peripheral vision to see Sora sleepily gazing up at her before jumping to her feet and shouting.

"Layla! Oh my gosh. You're awake!"

At the height the younger woman's voice Layla cringed (And may have accidentally glared) Which prompted Sora to cover her mouth with an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry!" Sora whispered "I'm just so happy you're okay" Her eye's began to water and Layla's expression softened. She extended her arm out to Sora as an invitation, one of which the Japanese native graciously took and snuggled into Layla's side, beginning to cry.

Waiting for Sora to finish her emotional bout seemed like the most logical course of action at the moment, so Layla sat there, softly shushing the girl for a few minutes until she calmed. Once Sora had calmed, Layla guided her face to look her in the eyes. A soft smile played at her lips as she looked fondly down on Sora, only one question standing out amongst the rest.

"Sora, what are you doing here?"

Sora sat up and away from Layla's side, turning herself to face her and look her in the eye.

"It was all over the news"

At Layla's puzzled glance Sora began to elaborate.

"You fainting. You fell off the stage, face first. The doctor's say it was probably the result of the fever you apparently didn't tell Cathy about" Sora pouted and Layla had the decency to look guilty for just a moment "They also said you gave yourself a concussion when you fell"

Layla nodded at the new information being fed to her.

"And how long have I been asleep in the hospital Sora?"

"About a day. This happened yesterday, Monday, at..." Sora trailed off, looking upward in thought "about two o'clock I think it was. You'll have to ask Cathy about that. But it's twelve noon on Tuesday now"

A blank stare was all Sora was recieving for a moment and it was beginning to unnerve her, until Layla sighed and her head slumped.

"Well, there's one day of my life wasted on nothing" Layla muttered, which Sora didn't quite catch.

Before Sora could question anything the door slowly opened to reveal a young male doctor with short black hair and a black dress shirt under his white lab coat and trousers. Both women's attentions went to the door as he quietly closed it and walked forward. The man smiled at Layla and nodded in Sora's direction, earning a friendly response from Kaleido stage's current top star. He sat down in a rolling office chair at a small corner desk at the far right of the room.

"I am sorry for not being very good at the social bit of my job" He suddenly began speaking out of the silence, which earned a small jump from both the patient and her guest "It is good to see you awake now though. You've had many visitors in the passed day you've been here, miss Naegino here being a regular"

At that Layla smirked at Sora who looked away with a blush.

"My name is Doctor Hogwen. I've been assigned to assist you in your recovery before you are discharged" He continued as he somehow magically appeared beside the two, reaching his hand out to Layla, which she took before flinched from a sudden pain in her head.

Sora reached out uselessly, wanting to help ease Layla's pain but not knowing how. The blonde only lowered Sora's hands and gave her a pained smile. Meanwhile Dr. Hogwen had mysteriously disappeared and reappeared on Layla's other side (which was beginning to get creepy) He held out his palm in which lay a small pill, the other arm bent at his side held a tiny bottle, assumedly from which the pill had come from.

"It's a T4. Fairly strong pain medication, but you'll need it after what you've been through. It will also make you drowsy, so I'll ask your friend to leave for a while and come back later once you reawaken"

Layla frowned, staring at the medication as if it had somehow wronged her.

The doctor chuckled.

"Everything will be alright. You won't be out for long and it will help you heal to get some _proper_ rest" As Layla hesitantly took the pill and a proffered glass of water he continued "After you reawaken I will call in your friends and family, then we will all have a nice chat about what exactly happened, your care once you leave here, and we will fill out your discharge papers"

Dr. Hogwen began to turn and usher Sora out of the room when he turned back to Layla.

"Oh! And your father has requested to be notified of your awakening, he has visited a couple times thus far, but ultimately chose to wait for our phone call. I will notify him o your progress and call again when everyone comes together to review. Now take your pill and go to sleep"

The slightest grin crossed Layla's lips as she heard her father was there. She flung back the pill and took a few gulps of water before settling back on the bed. The last thing she remembered before falling asleep once again, this time willingly, was uttering a soft goodnight to Sora.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: _Hey. I AM continuing this. My life isn't exactly all sunshine and roses so give me time. I am human. I have interests outside of fanfiction that I like to keep up with, hobbies, things that make me happy. I also have stresses and work and money issues. Balancing life and responsibility is hard enough, it gets worse when you add stress due to something that was supposed to be fun. So be respectful and don't harass me for updates. They're coming, and they're coming at my own pace._  
**

 ** _Honestly this is why I gave up on a lot of my fictions. They were no longer fun, just work because people couldn't chill. I almost did the same here if it weren't for my promise in the first chapter to keep going with it._**

* * *

The next day there were a few people gathered around Layla in her hospital bed. Sora and Cathy on her right, and her father on her left. Sara and Kalos had dropped by earlier with May, though found no need to stay until discharge, claiming they would see Layla later in more comfortable conditions.

At this moment Layla found herself very lucky to have such amazing people in her life. A glance towards Sora only made the feeling burning in her chest all the stronger. Though her attention remained mostly with Sora, Layla's gaze drifted to the door at the clearing of a throat.

Doctor Hogwen stood in the doorframe with clipboard in hand, flipped to some page for his own reference, although he didn't seem to need it as he spoke.

"We are ready to discharge you Miss. Hamilton" He said with a wide smile, and Layla could feel the relief radiating off of the people around her.

 _'They probably thought I was going to be kept here for a while, despite being told otherwise yesterday'_ Layla snickered softly under her breath at her own thought.

"Before we let you go, there are a couple of things I would like to run through with you about your care after leaving us" The doctor gave a serious look and everyone in the room nodded before he continued in a more light tone "We will be prescribing you some pain medications for your migraines, you will need them for a while but the headaches shouldn't last long. Come back to us if they do happen to persist for more than three days. I also don't want you being too active, this means no performances for at least a week"

At that Layla looked indignant, opening her mouth to argue but instead being cut off by Cathy.

"Not a problem Doc, I've already got her covered. She won't be setting foot on that stage until we _know_ she is alright" Cathy gave Layla a stern gaze as Layla turned her indignant glare onto the older woman, having a silent staring contest until Sora broke the tension.

"Was there anything else doctor?" At the sound of Sora's sweet voice Layla's expression softened and she turned her attention back to the doctor.

"Yes, just one. We would like to know that there is someone around to care for her at all times, this means her 'caretaker' for the week will have to sign a paper telling us that you will be staying with her and making sure she is taking it easy and not overexerting herself"

Immediately Layla's gaze went to her father. She and Macqourie had moved into separate apartments quite a while ago due to... Unchangeable differences... So her father really was the only person she could think to bother with asking.

Richard Hamilton's eyes softened as his heart broke at the pleading look in his daughter's gaze.

"I am sorry Layla, I left an important meeting to be here with you and already had to reschedule, I cannot miss another" He smoothed the hair on Layla's head, which she had been growing out again after it had been cut a little too short for her liking, and Layla found herself leaning into the touch sadly.

"I'll do it" a quiet voice squeaked from the other side of the bed. Of course Sora would voulenteer, but could Layla really put that on her? She couldn't possibly ask sweet Sora to take even MORE time away from her own job at Kaleido stage just to spend that time acting as her personal maid.

However, once again, it looked like she wouldn't be given a choice. Before she could even say anything in rebuttal Dr. Hogwen had already handed Sora the paperwork and she had already signed.

This just wasn't her day...

* * *

On the bright side, Layla had an entire week to spend with Sora, alone. On the down side, Layla had and entire week to spend with Sora... _Alone_.

She had no idea how she was going to handle it, but as her Father picked her up out of the wheelchair and gently placed her in the cab with a kiss on the head and a final fairwell, she knew she would have to figure it out soon.

"I'll see you in a day or so Layla. I'm going to work on getting things back on track at the stage and then come over to check on ya" Cathy said, leaning in through the window then glancing at Sora seated next to her "Think you can handle the princess on your own for a bit kiddo?" She asked Sora with a smirk.

Sora shyly glanced down, looking up at Cathy and nodding her head bashfully. Honestly, Layla would die of cuteness before she could even have the chance to die of any sort of injury. This really was a bad idea. Not that the universe seemed to care.

As Layla silently cursed and thanked the universe at the same time, the cab driver took off and it wasn't long before Sora was helping her out of the back seat. She must have gotten more lost in her thoughts than she thought, because the ride hadn't seemed like even five minutes. Propped against Sora like a crutch, Layla sighed and attempted to right herself and walk on her own.

... She hardly got three steps before falling her one knee from dizziness.

Sora scrambled to pick Layla up and prop her once again over her shoulder.

"Layla" Sora quietly admonished "I know it's hard for you, but you need to let me help you... I thought you learned that"

Of course Sora was referring to her finding her new self, her phoenix, in the old her rather than the new. The her who was able to cry freely and express weakness. This however, was different, and Layla would remain stubborn.

Still, she couldn't very well hurt Sora over it. So, she would bare with it for now. Letting Sora walk her up the steps (though reluctantly) was as far as she was willing to go for the moment.

Once again Layla straightened and started fumbling with her keys, pointedly ignoring Sora's glare and staggering into her apartment. She flopped onto the couch unceremoniously and drapped an arm over her eyes. With lone leg hanging off the edge of the couch and an arm slung over her eyes Layla truly looked like a drama queen.

A true actress, through and through.

Layla made no move to correct herself, not even as she heard Sora giggling at her from a short distance away. Not long after though, Sora apparently gave up her enjoyment at Layla's expense and walked off to do... Whatever it was she was doing. Honestly Layla didn't know, and couldn't be bothered to move from her unique position to find out. She was honestly rather comfortable as she was, and so, it wasn't long before she drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note:**_

This story is officially on Hiatus. I had thought it was a logical assumption seeing as I haven't been able to update in so long, but apparently it wasn't.

I'll spare you all the details of why I haven't been able to update, I've already waved my sob story around to too many people who didn't need to hear it. Basically, I'm having a hard time with money and fanfiction doesn't exactly pay. Though I'd love to make money off of it, since this used to be something that gave me great happiness, it was my escape into another world where my problems didn't exist. But as an adult who has bills to pay I can no longer sit around and waste my days away doing something that won't even bring in an ounce of cash. There are other issues. Medical stuff I'd rather not get into. Like I said, I'll spare you all the details.

Once I am able to continue writing, I will change the description and replace this chapter with an actual chapter. I'm aware that FF rules prohibit using a chapter for only an author's note, for those of you who actually read the rules and want to be rule Nazis, but it won't stay like this forever and I had no better way of telling all of my readers what is going on. So please, let it be.

Thank you for everyone who has been a loyal reader of mine thus far, and I am so sorry to all of you who were expecting an update, but please be patient with me, and I promise you that this story will continue as soon as I can spare even a moment to actually think about it again.

Once again, thank you, and thanks for taking the time to get through this author's note if you did, instead of just clicking out of the story after realizing it isn't a chapter. You all mean a lot to me. Even if I can be short tempered in some of my notes.

At this point I would like to mention that there IS a way that you can speed up my update rate. I have a poll on my profile asking who would and wouldn't support me on if I made an account. If you would actually support me and give me a little bit of income, I would gladly dedicate the time to writing. All you have to do is go to the poll and anwser "Yes"

I can't thank you all enough.

Farewell, and have a wonderful time.


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